Pinball Aficionado is my personal labor of love and is for you, the pinhead, the pinball fan, the aficionado. It is for everyone, from the person who is just entering the hobby and is trying to understand what all the hoopla is about, to the seasoned collector with 30 years of experience under his or her belt. Enjoy!

Friday, September 5, 2014

The World of Modding! - Part 1

Within the pinball universe, there is a phenomenon that's been steadily growing over the years. It's being seen more and more in owners homes and among collections. Sometimes when you come across it, you may not even notice it, other times, it's so extreme and all encompassing you can't miss it. In many cases it can help improve things, but it can also have the opposite effect........What am I talking about?!?! Breast enhancement?!??!?!?! NO! I'm speaking of the world of Modding!!!

Modding comes in many forms (lighting, artwork, software, toys, toppers, cabinets, you name it) and has been growing by leaps and bounds over the years. Years ago when the primary pinball owner was the operator making money on location (at the bar or arcade), mods were unimportant (unless to improve durability or fix a physical flaw or software glitch), but now as more and more people are personally owning games and the focus has turned from the operator to the private collector, mods have become interesting options to make games more unique and enjoyable for those that own them.

Aficionados have modded their machines in every way possible, from the types of bulbs used all the way to super exclusive custom toys and personal software enhancements to game content like personal music and speech. These collectors have spent considerable money doing this, in some cases the mods are worth more than what the whole machine is worth stock! They obviously have a passion for it, and this passion is what I'd like to showcase in the coming weeks....STAY TUNED!!!!!

That is an actual 3 inch tall fully functional Tron video game, with working game and real display over the ball scoop on the pinball version.